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How to Make Vanilla Extract

Baking Recipes

I’m not going to lie, this is a recipe that takes a bit of time to complete. It is the perfect special occasion or dinner party dessert, sure to wow even the pickiest of dessert connoisseurs. The crumbly outer crust is the perfect vehicle for a soft and creamy caramel. The dessert is perfectly rounded out with a layer of rich and creamy chocolate ganache. The addition of our Tonga bean caviar adds a bold flavor and can easily stand up the intense flavors of chocolate and caramel. This type of vanilla will stand up to the fullest flavored desserts.

What is the perfect chocolate chip cookie? Is it soft and "cakey", hard and crispy, or crispy edges with a soft chewy center? Chocolate chip toffee cookies fall into the last category. Crisp and sweet around the edges but soft and chewy in the middle, this might just be the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Let it snow! Or maybe we shouldn’t say that too loudly here in the very snowy state of Michigan! Our headquarters are close to the Lake and the lake effect snow is always in full swing here. Baking a batch of our almond snowball cookies is the perfect way to bring the snow indoors.

If you love to entertain and you are looking for a simple, delicious and beautiful dessert then look no further. Mint chocolate cookie parfaits combines the flavors of a hot cup of cocoa, the smooth and creamy filling of a cheesecake and the soft chewy texture of a cookie all in one dessert.

Valentine's day is less than 2 weeks away! Do you have something in mind for that special someone? Or are you the type that waits until the last minute, hoping for that one elusive dinner reservation? Instead of spending a fortune on roses or jewelry, why not make them a special treat? Black and white shortbread hearts are so simple to make and can be arranged in a special box, stuffed with pink tissue paper and tied up with a bright red bow. What valentine could resist such a sweet gesture!?

Who doesn't love oatmeal creme pies? With their two soft oatmeal like cookies sandwiched between a layer of vanilla creme, Little Debbie oatmeal creme pies were a staple in my lunchbox growing up. One of my favorite ways to eat them was to pull off the top cookie layer and fold over the second cookie onto the layer of creme. This created the perfect double stuffed creme pie! Now that I’m older (and supposedly wiser), I have found myself reading more and more labels on food products. All of the processed foods that we grew up with as children are packed with so many preservatives and food additives. Including those delicious Little Debbie's that I enjoyed so much as a child. What a downer!

Creamy, tangy, sweet, rich and decadent - all adjectives associated with delicious cheesecake. Vanilla cookie cheesecake is the epitome of all these. The tangy cream cheese blends perfectly with a buttery and crunchy graham cracker crust, while a swirl of sweet and spicy Biscoff cookie spread adds a delicious sweetness to the cake.

Doughnuts! Who doesn't like a hot fresh doughnut fresh from the oil and still warm to the touch? It makes my mouth salivate just thinking about it! Many of us simply drive up to our local donut shop and choose a favorite glaze and dip, but have you ever tried making a homemade vanilla donut at home? Well, now is the time to learn how to make a donut! In this recipe we’ll be creating a puff pastry donut coated with vanilla bean sugar.

The last weeks of warm summer weather are fast approaching. Ice cream in the cold winter months just doesn't have that je ne sais quoi that it has in the warmer months of spring and summer. There is something different about cold refreshing ice cream in the summer; it just tastes better! Before we know it, summer will be over- so eat all the ice cream you can! We have the perfect ice cream recipe featuring fresh summer strawberries and cacao nibs. We hope you enjoy!

Strawberries are the perfect fruit. The bright red berry is available year round, although their peak season is May-September. Unlike the persimmon or pomegranate, the strawberry is readily available in just about every local grocery store for whenever you have the craving. They are perfect in smoothies, delicious in pies or whole, with a generous sprinkling of vanilla bean sugar!

Jam Recipe: Blueberry-Orange Spice

Living in West Michigan provides us with an abundance of fresh fruit mid-summer to fall. Strawberries begin to show up in farm stands and the market late may, then cherries at the end of June, and finally blueberries mid-July.

Banana bread is a classic treat often served with brunch or breakfast. Carrot cake, banana bread's “big sister”, is another classic favorite. What do you get when you cross banana bread and carrot cake together? Hummingbird cake! Hummingbird cake has a long but rather unknown history in the South. The first known published recipe was in 1978 in Southern Living Magazine. Mrs. Wiggins, of Greensboro North Carolina submitted the recipe to the magazine after winning numerous awards and ribbons for the cake. The recipe went on to be the most requested recipe in the magazine's history.

One of my favorite times of the year is when the cherry trees begin to blossom; a signal that summer is drawing near and winter is around the corner. The fragrance and the beauty of these tiny blossoms is intoxicating!

Cherry trees produce small, bright red fruit perfect for pie, scones, jams, jellies and muffins. Cherries are so versatile they can even be used in savory applications such as sauces, salsas and bread stuffing.

Fireworks, picnics, cottages, bon fires...... If you live in the United States, the most beloved of all summer holidays is the Fourth of July. A time when our country celebrates its independence from Great Britain. A time for family, friends and celebration with food and drinks.

It's summer time, you are playing outside with your friends and you hear the familiar song of the ice cream truck. Instantly, you scatter to your houses asking (pleading with) your mother for money to buy a cold confection. You see him slowly come around the corner, your friends and you wait patiently as he makes his way down the street. Finally, he's here! So many choices plastered on the side of his truck. Do you want the bubble gum foot pop, the red white and blue firecracker pop or maybe the classic nutty cone. You settle on a the patriotic red, white and blue firecracker pop. Twenty minutes later, your face sticky in red and blue food coloring, you continue building your fort or riding bikes with friends. A garden hose at the end of the day turns into a make shift washroom to remove the dirt that has stuck to the red and blue drips on your face and hands.